Perth College

A warm welcome to the Perth College community. Perth College has a long tradition of outstanding academic achievement and purposeful holistic education designed to grow confident, grounded, ethical, and socially-responsible contributing members of our world. We are an intellectually-challenging, energetic and creative school for girls from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12 (boys from Pre-Kindergarten to Kindergarten). We also offer an engaging early learning program for boys and girls which includes PC Playtime (playgroup), Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. Set on beautiful grounds 10 minutes from the Perth central business district, we have a contemporary boarding house for long and short stays, set amongst stunning gardens, historic buildings and state-of-the-art facilities.

We are proud of our inclusive and nurturing environment where girls are encouraged to be brave and to confidently push themselves beyond their limits in and out of the classroom. Our girls are not afraid to try, fail and then grow from their experiences and adventures. These unique and challenging opportunities equip them to thrive as future pioneers.

Perth College appreciates the importance of high quality, creative and innovative teaching and learning. We value exposure to culture via music, literature and the Arts. We provide our girls with opportunities to explore the realms of Science, Mathematics and Technology for the purpose of pioneering improvements in innovation and health and wellbeing.

We help girls grow braver and stronger using the science of positive psychology and our unique model of self-leadership and wellbeing, we enable girls to flourish. As specialist educators of girls, we provide opportunities for your daughter to become confident, caring, independent and determined to become the best version of herself.

Perth College has drawn on more than 116 years of experience and knowledge to create a learning environment that enables girls to become remarkable women and make their mark on history.

Our mantra is ‘be brave, not perfect’ because, by learning from their mistakes, girls become confident to challenge themselves and take risks. We underpin this with a sense of ‘sisterhood’, where the girls support each other, work as a team and engage in an active school community that extends beyond the Perth College gates.

Our staff strive to instil within our girls a sense of deep worth and strong values to equip them to bravely face life’s challenges and act courageously as citizens of the world beyond Perth College. We also collaborate with students to develop their wellbeing, spirituality, physicality, and emotional and academic intelligence.

To make the most of opportunity takes bravery. Let’s acknowledge that if we choose to be brave we will absolutely fail and experience disappointment, setbacks and perhaps heartbreak. That’s the joy of living life to its fullest and becoming the best version of ourselves. When our girls are challenged, our role is to ask, “How can we help you with this challenge?” We know our girls are capable and we have faith they will navigate and learn from such experiences.

Perth College is one of the oldest independent girls’ schools in Western Australia, and one of many schools founded worldwide by the Community of the Sisters of the Church, an Anglican religious order established in 1870. From its original site in West Perth in 1902, Perth College grew rapidly and moved during 1916 to its current location in Mount Lawley.

From the very beginning, Perth College was determined to do things differently. The Sisters’ vision for what women could do challenged the accepted ideas at the time. From this, a strong belief system was born: that women should work hard to make the most of their opportunities and use these advantages to make a difference.

Perth College has continued to go from strength to strength over many generations. Milestone events included the building of our Chapel in 1927, the 1968 handover of the School from the Sisters to the Anglican Province of Western Australia, and our 2002 centenary celebrations.

Today, Perth College boasts a student population exceeding 1,000 girls, including over 100 boarders from regional WA and overseas. Recently, the School has added a number of landmark projects including the purpose-built Founders Centre for Early Learning (Kindergarten to Year 4) and Excelsior House, a facility for Year 12 Students that prepares girls for university and life outside school.

More than 13,000 students have been educated at Perth College since 1902. While much has changed since then, the determination of our girls has never waivered.

We are proud of the spiritual foundations of our school. Spirituality is an important part of the whole person and helps shape the girls and their attitudes to life. We challenge each student to develop her own moral compass guided by an awareness of faith, in conjunction with the School’s wider positive education focus.

Our Chapel of St Michael and All Angels is the spiritual heart of Perth College, consecrated in 1927. We hold regular services here, as well as providing a space for worship and quiet contemplation. In addition to our regular Chapel services, students across the year groups gather each year at St George’s Cathedral in the city to celebrate St Michael’s Day.

We receive frequent requests for the use of our Chapel for weddings and baptisms. Use is reserved for Old Girls, staff members and the broader Perth College community. For more information on our Chapel, click the button below.

We believe in helping our girls make decisions in life with care, courage and confidence. Our Beliefs and Values department works hard to encourage our girls to develop their own spirituality through a range of challenging and enlightening programs tailored to each year level.

In the Junior School, we focus on instilling the basics of Christianity. In the Senior School, we focus on global Anglicanism, faith and spirituality. Students in Years 7 – 10 participate in subjects including Bible Studies, Philosophy, Social Justice and Spirituality, while Year 11 students study Philosophy and Ethics 2A. Year 12 students have the opportunity to further undertake Philosophy and Ethics 3A/3B.